1956 in country music

"See also:"
1955 in country music,
1956 in music,
other events of 1956,
1957 in country music and the List of years in Country Music

Events

No dates

* Although he already has had one No. 1 hit (with "I Forgot to Remember to Forget") and several other smaller-scale hits, Elvis Presley's national star power explodes when "Heartbreak Hotel" soars to the top of all three of "Billboard magazine's" country charts by the end of March. The song also completes a rare feat by topping each of the "Billboard" pop and Rhythm & Blues Records charts.
* With release of Ray Price's "Crazy Arms", the 4/4 shuffle is established and would transform country music, especially honky tonk.

Top hits of the year

Number one hits

"(As certified by Billboard magazine)"
*February 11 - "Why Baby Why" - Webb Pierce and Red Sovine
*February 25 - "I Forgot to Remember to Forget" - Elvis Presley
*March 17 - "Heartbreak Hotel" - Elvis Presley
*March 17 - "I Don't Believe You've Met My Baby" - The Louvin Brothers
*April 7 - "Blue Suede Shoes" - Carl Perkins
*June 23 - "Crazy Arms" - Ray Price
*July 14 - "I Want You, I Need You, I Love You" - Elvis Presley
*July 21 - "I Walk the Line" - Johnny Cash
*September 15 - "Don't Be Cruel"/"Hound Dog" - Elvis Presley
*November 10 - "Singing the Blues" - Marty Robbins

:"Note: Several songs were simultaneous No. 1 hits on the separate "Most Played C&W in Juke Boxes," "Most Played C&W by Jockeys" and "C&W Best Sellers in Stores" charts.

Other major hits

*"The Blackboard of My Heart" - Hank Thompson
*"Eat, Drink and Be Merry (Tomorrow You'll Cry)" - Porter Wagoner
*"Folsom Prison Blues" - Johnny Cash
*"Honky Tonk Man" - Johnny Horton
*"I Take the Chance" - The Browns featuring Jim Ed Brown
*"I've Got Five Dollars and it's Saturday Night" - Faron Young
*"It's a Great Life (If You Don't Weaken)" - Faron Young
*"Searching (For Someone Like You)" - Kitty Wells
*"Sweet Dreams" - Faron Young
*"You're Still Mine" - Faron Young
*"I'm A One Woman Man"-Johnny Horton
*"You're Free To Go"-Carl Smith
*"You Are The One"-Carl Smith
*"Be Bop A Lula"- Gene Vincent
*"So Doggone Lonesome"-Johnny Cash
*"You Don't Know Me"-Eddy Arnold
*"You And Me"- Red Foley & Kitty Wells
*"You're Running Wild"-Louvin Brothers
*"According To My Heart"-Jim Reeves
*"Yes I Know Why"-Webb Pierce
*"Just One More" - George Jones
*"Poor Man's Riches"-Benny Barne
*"My Lips Are Sealed"-Jim Reeves
*"If Jesus Came To Your House"-Porter Wagoner
*"Love Me Tender"-Elvis Presley
*"I've Got A New Heartache"-Ray Price
*"For Rent"-Sonny James–
*"Before I Met You"-Carl Smith
*"Wicked Lies"-Carl Smith

Top new album releases

Births

*January 18 - Mark Collie, country artist of the early 1990s.
*June 19 - Doug Stone, popular country vocalist during the early- to mid-1990s.
*December 9 - Sylvia Kirby, pop-styled female vocalist of the early-1990s who became best known as "Sylvia."
*December 21 - Lee Roy Parnell, alternative country star who enjoyed mainstream country success during the mid-1990s.
*December 30 - Suzy Bogguss, folk-styled country artist who rose to fame in the early 1990s.

Deaths

Further reading

*Kingsbury, Paul, "Vinyl Hayride: Country Music Album Covers 1947-1989," Country Music Foundation, 2003 (ISBN 0-8118-3572-3)
*Millard, Bob, "Country Music: 70 Years of America's Favorite Music," HarperCollins, New York, 1993 (ISBN 0-06-273244-7)
*Whitburn, Joel. "Top Country Songs 1944-2005 - 6th Edition." 2005.

Other links

*Country Music Association